Lesson Number One
by kci47
Summary: A series of letters between Mad-Eye Moody and his protege, Tonks. Written for the "Yours Sincerely" competition on HPFC. I'm Moody and the wonderful WeasleySeeker is Tonks! Placed 1st, and to be continued!
1. Chapter 1

**Ministry of Magic: Department of Magical Law Enforcement** **Auror Training Application Form**

**Name:** Nymphadora Tonks

**Gender: **Female

**DOB (DD/MM/YYYY): **13/04/1973

**Blood Status (The Department of Magical Law Enforcement asks for these details to ensure it fulfils its vision to provide equal opportunities for everyone): **Half-Blood

**Address: **12 Barnley Way  
>Cumgowston<br>Wiltshire

**Please give details of any relevant criminal convictions: **None

**Year graduated from Hogwarts (or foreign Wizarding school – provide details if this is the case): **1991

**Hogwarts House (if applicable):** Hufflepuff

**Ordinary Wizarding Level subjects and grades (please provide details if you have foreign qualifications which are equivalent): **

Defence Against the Dark Arts – Outstanding

Potions – Outstanding

Care of Magical Creatures – Exceeds Expectations

Transfiguration – Exceeds Expectations

Charms – Acceptable

Herbology – Acceptable

Astronomy – Poor

Arithmancy – Poor

History of Magic – Dreadful

**Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test subjects and grades (please provide details if you have foreign qualifications which are equivalent): **

Defence Against the Dark Arts – Outstanding

Transfiguration – Outstanding

Charms – Outstanding

Potions – Outstanding

Herbology – Outstanding

**Any relevant experience: **Member of the Hogwarts Duelling Club (1987-1991).

**Why do you want to be considered for this position?**

Ever since I was a young child, I have always been prepared to fight for what is right. I think that this is exactly the right mentality for an Auror.

I have a natural talent for Defence Against the Dark Arts, and I am a Metamorphmagus, which I'm sure will help hugely. Also, what I lack in natural talent I can make up for with hard work, which I can prove from the contrast between my OWL and NEWT grades.

Becoming an Auror has been my dream for as long as I can remember. I can't tell you how much I want this and how hard I'm willing to work. One of my best qualities is determination – I never, ever give up.

**Applicant's signature: **N. Tonks

**Date: **15th August 1991

**Please attach a reference from your Head of House/previous employer.**

**The deadline for applications is 17****th**** August 1991.**

**We will consider your application over the next few weeks. Thirty applicants will then be selected for interview during the week beginning 1****st**** September 1991. There are ten places on the training course.**

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><p>Nymphadora Tonks:<p>

Lesson one is never to put all your personal information in writing, in case it's intercepted. Owls are notoriously easy to capture or kill. Are you that daft, girl?

But nevermind that for now, we've more important things to discuss. You can forget everything you've ever thought about becoming an Auror – it's dangerous work and to be successful you must rely heavily on instinct. I can teach you every spell I know, but I can't train you to know when to dodge a curse. Let's hope you're at least coordinated.

Now listen up. I've agreed to take you on as a trainee for two simple reasons. One, your skills as a Metamorphmagus will be dead useful, and two, your Dreadful score in History of Magic shows me that you know a lost cause when you see it. Second lesson: never tell someone that you "lack natural talent". Might as well hand 'em your wand!

The rest of the milksops who applied for Auror training are going to be interviewed the first week of September, but I don't fancy wasting time when there's dark forces afoot. Meet me in Hogsmeade in three days' time, and don't come lookin' like yourself! Your first test will be tracking me down. If you can do that, then we'll get started.

Be careful that you're not followed, and don't discuss this with anyone. ANYONE! You never know who might be under an Imperius Curse. Even your mother could sell ya to the Death Eaters if someone's got her Imperio'd.

Commit this letter to memory because it will incinerate itself in approximately five minutes, along with the carrier pigeon that brought it.

CONSTANT VIGILANCE.

M.E.M.

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks to my lovely beta and also my letter-writing partner-in-crime, WeasleySeeker! If you liked this, please drop by her page and leave a review on her copy of this story as well. She's Tonks, I'm Moody. Even with our combined forces we're not JK Rowling, which usually makes us feel pretty sad...and when we're sad, we enter EVEN MORE competitions! This was written for the Yours Sincerely competition on HPFC and is totally different than anything I've written thus far. I hope I do Mad-Eye justice as he was one of my favorite characters in the books.**


	2. Chapter 2

Dear M.E.M.

I'm so excited that you've agreed to take me on, and I'd like to tell you how excited I was once I found out who you are (there wasn't much time yesterday, considering the turn of events!). You were my idol as a child! It's such a privilege to be working with someone so experienced and so celebrated!

I'd also like to apologise again for spilling Butterbeer over your robes - I hope it comes out in the wash! I'm afraid (as you must have noticed) that I am rather clumsy. But I'm sure you can stamp that out of me!

Anyway, thank you for the briefing - I'm very clear on what to expect from this year now. And the interruption was a bit alarming (I take it you weren't expecting it?), but it was brilliant to get some field experience, and I hope I proved myself to you and showed you that I'm worth taking on. It was scary to start with, but strangely enough I loved every minute of it - it showed me that fighting Dark wizards is what I want to do with the rest of my life.

Looking forward to seeing you again,

N.T. (see, I'm learning! Nobody would know a thing if this got intercepted!)

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><p>Pinky:<p>

Yeah, you're a bloody genius. You did manage to find me, though, so there's that. See here, there's nothing glamorous or noteworthy about bein' an Auror. You've been hired to do your job, and do it well. I catch you trying to get your picture taken with me again and you'll be out on your butt faster'n a bowtruckle can bite.

You may be a mite clumsy, but even I have to admit that I'd likely be missin' my other eye if it weren't for your quick thinking in the pub. Your Reducto's not half-bad, either, even when you were fallin' all over yourself while you fired it off. When it comes down to it, I need a partner that's going to spell first and ask questions later, and you proved that you're more'n capable for an eighteen-year-old. And don't concern yourself with the robes; it's the Ministry that's payin' for 'em.

Now, enough of that emotional nonsense. You-Know-Who (the boy, not the man) will be leaving home to attend school in a matter of weeks. It's our job to make sure nothing happens to him between point A and point B. There's some who'd say he's in no danger; me, I think he's got a target on his back sure as Dumbledore likes candy.

I need you to scope out any potential dangers along the route from his home to the train station. Look for abandoned buildings, hidden alleyways, sections of road where we might be blind. I expect your full report in a week, you hear?

This letter and the mouse that brought it will vanish in three minutes.

CONSTANT VIGILANCE.

A.M.

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><p><strong>AN: Cheers to WeasleySeeker, as her letter for this chapter made me laugh out loud. She writes Tonks well, don't you agree? If you liked this story, please pop on over to her page to let her know too! We're not JK Rowling, and if we could make money from fanfiction, I'm pretty sure we'd both be living in a replica Hogwarts Castle.**


	3. Chapter 3

Boss,

I'm so glad you've seen something in me! I do have a tendency to act before I think, which my mother always tells me is a bad thing, but I guess it's a good thing if you're an Auror and your life depends on it.

I agree with you - after the other day I know that everyone who's anyone has got people after them, and you can never be too careful. That's my... third lesson, right? CONSTANT VIGILANCE.

Of course I will look out for those dangers and give you my report at the end of the week (in person, of course, not by owl), but before I do that I've just had a thought. The aunt and uncle weren't all that friendly towards our biggest friend in the summer when he picked him up to take him to get his school stuff, were they? And I don't think they would be very cooperative if they found out that they had wizards watching them all the time. So maybe we should let them take him to the station themselves and then tail them, looking out for danger, without them knowing about it. Does that sound like a good idea?

N.T.

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><p>T.:<p>

Congratulations, lassie, you passed your first test with soaring salamanders. Not only did you remember not to provide any critical information in writing, but you also came to the same conclusion as me. Best to let the boy's relatives take him to the train station while the rest of us stand guard. Excellent thinking – you're proving to be far more intuitive than I had hoped. It's a good thing the Ministry always asks me to screen the trainee applications, or else one of the other oafs in the department might have snatched you up.

We need to discuss coverage of our favorite boy wonder, and soon. The first day of school will be on us before you know it. Meet me at the same place you found me last time, and we can map out our plan. The train station'll be tricky with so many Muggles around. Let's hope your ability to disguise yourself works with clothing, too.

C.V., Moody


	4. Chapter 4

_Ten months later:_

N.T.:

We've got a new assignment, direct from the Minister himself. We'll be transportin' a bit o' valuable rock from its current home back to its owner. I think we both know the consequences of failure are severe - not just for us, but for our entire world.

That bein' said, we'll need to meet to discuss our plans for the journey. We'll likely be gone a week, maybe more. Make sure you've got everything you need packed and ready to go at a moment's notice. Only you, me, and that barmy old codger we both know and love will know when the property is being moved for security purposes.

This is going to require all the stealth you can muster, lass, so best be workin' on your two left feet like we talked about. I'll be sendin' you the time and place of our meet-up separately - this raven doesn't look very trustworthy.

M.E.

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><p>M.E.M -<p>

Back in the real world after my first real mission for the Minister! I just wanted to thank you for taking me, I have learnt so much! (Other than how to play Scrabble, of course... although I'm sure it helped immensely with the Muggle façade...) I think my coordination is definitely improving, although maybe I did have a little moment when we came across that troll, but I recovered and it was all okay in the end! I'm glad Old Nick got his rock back okay. I will admit though that I was surprised it took so long just to transport it over two counties... HOW did it take five weeks?

Thanks again, and I will remember: CONSTANT VIGILANCE!

N.T.

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><p><strong>AN: Hip-hip-hooray to WeasleySeeker, writing as Tonks. And now, for the announcement you've all been waiting for..."And the results are in! Kci47 is..." *drumroll* [opens envelope] "...NOT JK Rowling." *cue disappointment***


	5. Chapter 5

N.T.:

You did well, girlie, even I have to admit. Your instincts hardly need any honing before you'll be as good as I am at sniffin' out Dark wizards. You're already better'n me at keeping your head when the situation gets tense – I would never have thought to play "JUKEBOX" during the last round of Scrabble when that Nyman bloke was breathing down our necks. Angrier than a Hippogriff, he was, when we won. Why, we nearly had to run for our lives after...er...I suppose I might have gotten a little caught up with our Muggle disguises, now you mention it. Bloody game is too addictive...

Ahem. You were brilliant with that troll, Pinky. It seems I may have a few things to learn from you. Not quite sure what he was doing wanderin' the countryside, though – seemed awfully suspicious. Regardless, I'm just glad he came quietly once you threatened him with an old-fashioned _Winguardium Leviosa_. Hushed him right up and I'm not sure I can remember a time when I saw a troll shake with fear. Most peculiar.

Haven't you learned anything about stealth? We had to change course and double back a few times so that no one following us would know where we were headed or what we were up to. It should have only taken two weeks, though, I'll give ya that. Must've been the Scrabble tourney we stopped for in Bristol.

All's quiet for us now that school's out and the plot involving the Stone has been uncovered. Take some time off, rest up, and we'll meet up again later this summer.

A.M.

P.S.: That last paragraph is HOGWASH, lassie! I hope you saw right through it. When things're quiet is when it gets the most dangerous. We need to be on high alert for any nefarious activity – Quirrell didn't just up and die of young age, that's for sure. C.V.!

* * *

><p>M -<p>

I was just testing you... yes, it is an addictive game. Those Muggles do know their stuff. We'll have to play again sometime. And of course I saw through it, you can't fool me any more! Do you not think you've taught me anything?

N.T.

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks to WeasleySeeker for coming up with Tonks and Moody's unfortunate detour into Scrabble...haha. Mark Nyman is an actual British Scrabble champ from the early nineties when this story would have been going on. And in case it wasn't clear, they ran into the same troll that Harry and Ron knocked out at Halloween. For some reason, my petition to be adopted by JKR was rejected, so I still have no claim on HP. **


End file.
